20 hours Ago
PORTLAND, Oregon — One year after a fatal shooting outside a Portland strip club , the trial of the accused gunman, 32-year-old Damariea Harris, is underway. Harris faces multiple charges, including first-degree murder. The shooting occurred outside The Venue Gentlemen’s Club in the Hazelwood neighborhood, just east of Interstate 205.
Surveillance cameras captured footage of the incident, in which one man was killed and another seriously injured. Harris was arrested in Vancouver, Wash., about a week and a half later.
Jurors heard opening statements from both the prosecution and defense on the first day of the trial. Prosecutors argue that, despite not recovering the murder weapon or determining a motive, the evidence against Harris is compelling. “There is overwhelming evidence that Damariea Harris shot and killed Morieo Camel-Harris and that he shot and wounded Larry Bell Jr.
At the end of the trial, the state is going to ask you to return a verdict of guilty on all counts,” said lead prosecutor Kristen Kyle-Castelli. The defense, however, contends that the investigation was flawed and that Harris was wrongly accused. “This was not a complete or thorough investigation that we should demand in a murder trial,” defense attorney Scott Leonard said.
“You will leave this trial with more questions than answers.” The prosecution’s first witness testified that he was driving by when he heard gunshots and began recording the scene with his phone. “When I pulled into the parking lot, I saw the guy laying there bleeding out — blood rushing down the sidewalk — and I was just in shock at it,” the witness said.
Harris faces charges of first-degree murder and attempted murder, along with additional lesser charges. The trial is expected to last several days. Stay with KGW for updates as the trial progresses.
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